Update

Facebook updates News Feed with new story bumping feature

Cody Lee ∙ August 6, 2013

I don't consider myself a big Facebook user, but I do check it from time to time. I live across the country from a lot of friends and family, so it's nice to see how they're doing every now and then. And for the most part, I don't mind the social network, except for the stupid News Feed.

It seems like every time I login, it's serving up posts in a different way, when I'd really just like them to be in chronological order. And wouldn't you know it, it's about to change again. Facebook announced this morning that it's rolling out a new News Feed story bumping feature...

Apple TV 5.4 Beta 4 seeded to developers

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 6, 2013

Along with seeding the fifth iOS 7 beta to its registered developers, Apple has also issued the fourth beta of the upcoming Apple TV 5.4 software update.

The beta firmware files for the second and third-generation Apple TV model, as well as the tweaked third-gen model (Rev A), are now available to the registered members of Apple's paid developer program through the iOS Dev Center...

Twitter app updated with two-step verification, enhanced photo search and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated December 4, 2013

Folks using the official Twitter client on iOS will be happy to hear that it has received a significant update this morning, bringing the app to version 5.9. The update includes a handful of improvements, including 2 step authentication and enhanced photo searching.

Twitter first introduced two-step authentication back in May, following a number of widely widely publicized hacks involving celebrity and other high profile accounts. With today's update, Twitter is bringing the new security feature to iOS and Android devices...

Survey finds 52% of developers are working on iOS 7-only app updates

Cody Lee ∙ Updated December 4, 2013

Last month, we asked our readers if they would pay for iOS 7 app updates on apps they already owned. With all of the UI changes and new features Apple's added in the software, developers are having to spend an enormous amount of time and resources to bring their apps up to speed.

Looking at the comments in that post, though, the answer was clearly a resounding "no." In fact, a lot of readers claimed that they'd rather stay on iOS 6, than update to iOS 7 and have to repay for their favorite apps. Well, if this new survey is any indication, that may not be an option...

Spotify introduces new curated playlists

Cody Lee ∙ August 5, 2013

Streaming music services aren't just about the music these days. Aside from obvious bullet points like price and availability, users are also looking for features like discovery and smart playlists. And Spotify just made a huge play in this regard.

A few hours ago, Spotify took the wraps off its new 'Browse' page, which now features what it calls 'expert playlists.' These are essentially curated playlists that promise to deliver 'music for every moment,' from workouts to dinner parties...

Square Register for iOS updated with payment tracking, Bluetooth printer support and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

Even if you're not a Square user, you should pay attention to what the company is doing in the mobile payment space. This is an area Apple has long been rumored to be getting into, expanding on its Passbook app, and if that happens, Square will be among its top competitors.

Having said that, Square updated its popular Register software today, bringing the app to version 3.2. The changes made in the update are fairly significant, and include the ability to track and record a number of various payments types, and [finally] Bluetooth printer support...

Netflix launches ‘Profiles’ feature, will roll out to iOS devices over next few days

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

Netflix users should keep an eye on their iOS devices this weekend. The streaming service has officially launched its new Profiles feature, and says it will be rolling it out to iPhones, iPads and Apple TVs (and other devices) over the next few days.

The news comes after several users, who had been given access to Profiles early, reported that the feature was showing up in the Netflix app of their Apple TVs. Now it looks like everyone is going to be able to get in on the fun in the near future...

Pebble smartwatch gets email notifications courtesy of app update

Cody Lee ∙ Updated December 4, 2013

Good news for Pebble owners this afternoon. The company just posted an update for the smartwatch's companion iPhone app that adds support for incoming email push notifications, meaning you can get alerts on your Pebble watch when new emails arrive.

The app has to be running in the background of your iPhone for it to work, and it's only compatible with Gmail and other IMAP email services. But the feature should get substantially more functionality when iOS 7 is released, as it has better accessory support...

Popular Dolphin browser updated with ad blocker, themes and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

The mobile Safari browser that Apple includes with iOS is probably ok for the average user, but it's lacking a ton of features. This has forced a lot of folks to seek a third-party alternative with more to offer. I, for example, use Chrome.

Another popular choice, though, is MoboTap Inc.'s Dolphin browser, which happened to receive a big update today. The new version includes a number of improvements, such as a new ad-blocking feature, themes and better downloading...

Kik Messenger app updated with stickers, third-party games and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated December 4, 2013

Kik users will be happy to hear that a major update for the iOS client has posted to the App Store this morning. The update, which brings the popular messaging app to version 6.5, hops on the recent stickers trend, adds third-party games, and more.

The stickers in Kik 6.5 work just like you'd expect them to—you can embed the emoticon-like images into any of your conversations. And as far as the third-party game offerings go, launch titles include new releases by both Zynga and TreSensa...

Amazon updates Kindle app with free sample search, custom dictionaries and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated December 4, 2013

Folks with an iPhone or iPad invested in Amazon's ebook service will be happy to hear that it has posted a solid update for its iOS Kindle client today. The update brings the app to version 3.9, and offers a handful of new features and improvements.

Perhaps the most noticeable change is the new Free Sample Search feature, which allows you to search through Amazon's extensive Kindle library to download free samples. And the Bring Your Own Dictionary option pretty much speaks for itself...

Latest Apple TV beta adds music purchasing and ‘touch to setup’

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Yesterday, Apple seeded beta 3 of Apple TV 5.4 software. And looking at the change log, it initially appeared that the update was little more than a maintenance update, as there were no new notable features. But a couple of cool things have since been discovered in the release.

For one, it looks like Apple has re-added the ability to purchase music through iTunes—as it stands, users can only purchase TV shows and Movies through iTunes on their Apple TV, and this appears to change that. And two, a new 'touch to setup' feature has been added...